Apparatus for forming and applying top stops



Feb. 15, 1955 l., H. MORIN APPARATUS FOR FORMING AND APPLYING TOP sToPS Filed Dec.

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Louis H MORIN BY E ATTdRNEY L. H. MORIN Feb. l5, 1955 APPARATUS FOR FORMING AND APPLYING TOP STOPS 2 sheets-sheetI 2 Filed Dec. 17, 1949 1J.. .m1, .Ti

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. INVENTOR OLows'n.lvloRuw United States Patent-O APPARATUS FOR FORMING AND APPLYING TOP'STOPS Louis H. Morin, Bronx, N. Y.

Application December 17, 1949, Serial No. 133,513 Claims. (Cl. 1-177) This invention relates to -what are known as "top stops of separable fastener stringers, that is to say, devices which limit the travel of a slider in one direction on the stringers and usually considered in the trade as the top stop of the stringer. More particularly, the invention deals with a simple apparatus for automatically forming a stop stop from a strip of wire or similar stock, partially shaping the same on an anvil to envelop the beaded edge of a Stringer tape and then to crimp or squeeze the shaped part around the bead by a crimping tool in securely attaching the stop to the tape.

The novel features of the invention will be best understood from the following description, when taken together with the accompanying drawings, in which certain embodiments of the invention are disclosed and, in which, the separate parts are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views and, in which:

Fig. 1 isa diagrammatic sectional view through parts of a machine employed for forming and applying end sto s.

lgig. 2 is a face view of the structure as seen in Fig. 1 with part of the construction in section.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detailed sectional view similar to part of the structure as seen in Fig. 1, illustrating the position of the parts preparatory to severing a workpiece from a wire strip.

Fig. 4 is` a view similar to Fig; 3 showing only part of the construction and illustrating the severed stripv shaped on an anvil.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 illustrating advancement of the formed strip to position, preparatory to attachment on a tape edge.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 showing the workpiece arranged on the tape edge;

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 showing the operation of crimping the workpiece onto the tape edge.

To illustrate part of the mechanism employed to actuate the parts of the machine for performing the several operations as diagrammatically illustrated in Figs. 3 to 7 inclusive, I have shown in Figs. l and 2 portions of the machine.

In Fig. l, 10 represents a bed plate of the machine frame and 11 an upstanding riser, in which is arranged a power driven cam shaft 12, on which two cams 13 and 14 are arranged. The cam 13 has a circumferential cam groove, as indicated in dotted lines at 15 in Fig. 2 of the drawing; whereas, the cam 14 has a projecting peripheral cam portion 16, as indicated in Fig. l.

Rearwardly of the cams 13 and 14, as seen in Fig. l, are two other cams, the rst of which is seen at 17 and a portion of' the other being seen at 17', the cams in question being adapted to operate two arms, one of which is seen at 18 and the other at 18. The forward ends of these arms are indicated in Fig. 2, the arm 18 being shown at the left of Fig. 2 and its 'associate arm 18 is indicated at the right of Fig. 2.

The shaft l2 is driven from a power driven shaft, part of which is indicated in dot and dash lines at 19 in Fig. 1 and a gear 20 on this shaft, the pitch line of which is indicated in dot and dash lines operates upon a gear on the shaft 12, the pitch line of which is indicated in dot and dash lines at 21.

On the bed 10 is mounted a work strip or wire feed mechanism 22, which is actuated by an arm 23 of a rocker arm 24 mounted on a shaft 25. The rocker arm 24 is operated by the cam 14-16. The arms 18, 1`8 are also arranged upon the shaft 25 and these arms, in

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turn, have other arms, one of which is seen at 26, actuated by the cams 17, 17 in controlling movement of a.

plunger mechanism comprising -two vertically movablel plates 27 and 28.

yThe plate 27 comprises what might be .termed -a "punch and carrier ond operates in conjunction with a cutting anvil or plate 29 on the bed 10 to shear from the wire workpiece or stock 30 a workpiece as indicatedv I at 31 in Fig. 4 of the drawing.

The slide or punch 27 has a recess or housing 32, in which the workpiece is held in transmitting the workpiece from the cutting or shearing station to 'the applicator and crimping or final forming station, as indicated in Figs. 5, 6 and 7 of the drawing. Mounted on and movable with the plate 28 is a plunger 33, which normally extends into the recess 32 and serves as a backing for the workpiece 31 and also as a means to deliver the workpiece onto the beaded edge portion 34 of av Stringer tape 35 in the manner illustrated in Fig. 6 of the drawing. This last operation is performed by independent operation of the lever 18' and movement of the plate 28.

Engaging the upper portion of the plates 27 and 28 is a spring actuated buffer 36 which tensions the plates, particularly in the upper position thereof. On the riser 11 of the frame is a stub shaft 37 having, at one end, an arm 38 operatively .engaging the cam groove 15, the other end of the shaft having a downwardly extending arm 39 which has, at its lower end, an offset anvil portion 40 of the general cross-sectional contour clearly seen in Figs. 3 and 4. The workpiece 31 is formed on the anvil portion 40 as the punch 27 moves downwardly over the anvil from the position shown in Fig. 3, to that indicated in Fig. 4. The cam 13 is so-timed as to remove the anvil 40 from the workpiece 31, so as to permit free downward movement of the workpiece housed within the recess 32, in other words, from the position shown in Fig. 4 to that indicated in Fig. 5. The anvil is maintained in the inoperative position until such time as the punch 27 returns to its raised position, preparatory to repeating the cycle of operation of the machine.

' It will appear from a consideration of Fig. 2 of the drawing that the ends of the arms 18, 18' operate in slots or recesses 27', 28 in the plates 27 and 28 in movement of said plates into the different positions mentioned above.

Considering Figs. 6 and 7 of the drawing, it will be apparent that the plate 27 is given a movement independent of the plate 28, after the punch has performed its function, as seen in Fig. 6. In Fig. 6, the workpiece 31 has been fed down over the beaded edge of the tape and has been positioned between a sliding anvil 41 and a crimping or forming tool 42. These parts are shown in detail in Fig. l of the drawing. The anvil plate 41 is slidably mounted in a downwardly extending part 10 of the bed plate and is backed-up by a spring 43 arranged in the extension 10 and also held in position by a facing plate 44. The anvil plate 41 is recessed, as seen at 45, and in this recessed portion is pivoted, as seen at 46, the crimping tool 42. The tool 42 includes an extending yoke 47 supporting a roller 48, which operates upon an adjustable pivot screw 49 on the bed plate 10 and also is engaged by a spring-pressed plunger 50 which holds the roller upon the pivot screw 49.

From the-foregoing, it will be apparent that, as the anvil plate 4l is engaged by the punch 27 and moved downwardly from the position of Fig. 6 to that of Fig. 7, the crimping tool 42 is yieldably swung to the right to crimp the workpiece 31 onto the beaded edge 34 of the tape, as seen at Fig. 7. This yielding, crimping operation compensates for slight differences or variances that may prevail in the size of the tape.

After the crimping operation has been performed, the punch 27, including the plunger 33, are moved into their normally raised position, as seen in Figs. l, 2 and 3, in which operation, the stringer tape, wth the top stop workpiece 31 thereon, is removed from the position in the anvil plate 41 and a new tape or a new section of a. more or less endless tape is brought into position for matic.

reception of the next successive top stop. It will appear from a consideration of Fig. '1 of the drawing that the anvil plate has a slotted portion 51 for the reception of the tape and the plate is otherwise fashioned to receive the scoop portions 52 on the stringer tape, particularly in attaching the end stop closely adjacent end scoops on the tape, as will be apparent from a face view of the tape, as seen in Fig. 2. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the tape 35 extends through the slot 51 in the anvil plate 41 and the anvil plate supports the tape in an edgewise position with its beaded edge beneath the vertically reciprocable plate or tool 27 to receive the work piece formed by the tool.

The machine may be foot or hand-operated for completing each cycle of operation of the machine or, on the other hand, if an automatic feed of the workpiece is provided, the entire machine operation may be auto- In the present drawing, the various parts are more or less schematically illustrated, in that I am concerned primarily with the movement of the various parts, that is to say, the punch, including the plunger rod therein, and the two anvils, including the crimping tool.

It will be apparent that the machine can be utilized for applying workpieces of the general character disclosed on 'supports of any type or kind. In accordance with the present method, it will appear that, after the workpiece has been cut from a long wire or stock, it is immediately shaped over an anvil and deposited within a socket or carrying portion of the punch and is'frictionally held in the punch in movement by the punch from the cutting and partially forming station to the applicator and crimping stations, where the nal operation of attaching the workpiece to its support is accomplished.

One of the distinctive features in the invention resides in the particular means or manner of performing the iinal crimping or attaching operation through a yielding pressure in compensating for variances of the support to which the workpiece is attached and, further, in automatically actuating the crimping tool as the support with the workpiece thereon is moved with the workpiece backing anvil.

The anvil plate 41 may also be said to comprise an article supporting member having the slot 51 in which the Stringer, as at 35, is adapted to be positioned, preparatory to attachment of the end stop thereon. In like manner, the punch 27 may be said to comprise a workpiece shaping and carrying member, which delivers the partially formed end stop from the trimming and bending stations to the article or Stringer at what may be termed the crimping station, where the crimping tool 42 firmly presses and unites the end stop with the Stringer tape.

From the foregoing, it will appear that the machine for forming and applying end stops or the like to a support, such for example, as a Stringer tape, operates as follows: Stock is first fed into position between shearing and forming tools, such for example, as 27, 29 and 27-40, in the manner illustrated in Fig. 3. The punch 27 then moves downwardly, during which operation a workpiece, such as 31, is severed from the stock 30 in a shearing operation between 27-29 and the workpiece is then shaped over the anvil 40 in the manner illustrated in Fig. 4. The anvil is then moved out of alinement with the punch 27 and the plunger, with the workpiece 31 therein, is then moved. down to the position seen in Fig. 6 and, at the end of this operation, the plunger 33 moves down to deliver the workpiece 31 onto the beaded edge 34 of the tape and in position between the anvil 41 and the crimper 42, as seen in Fig. 6l

The punch then continues to move downwardly with the plunger 33 at rest, in which latter operation, the crimper 42 is actuated to crimp or tirmiy, but yieldably, compress the workpiece onto the tape, as indicated in Fig. 7 of the drawing. The punch 27 and plunger 33, including the anvil 40, then return to the normal position, as seen in Fig. 3, after which the stock 30 is again advanced in the manner seen in Fig. 3, preparatory to completing another cycle of operation of the machine. At 22' is diagrammatically shown a pivoted check device for checking backward movement of the stock 30. It will be apparent, however, that any suitable means can be employed for this purpose.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire'to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a machine for forming and attaching an end stop to an edge of a stringer tape for a separable fastenerable vertically upon engagement therewith, said member having a slot therein for receiving and positioning a tape edgewise beneath the vertically reciprocable tool. an anvil formed on said member and opposing one side of the .tape supported therein, a movable crimping tool opposing said anvil on the opposite side ofthe tape and means for moving the crimping tool toward and away from the anvil upon movement of the tape supporting member.

2. In a machine for forming and attaching an end stop to an edge of a Stringer tape for a separable fastener, the combination as defined in claim 1.wherein the crimping tool is pivotally connected to the anvil and is pivotally movable toward and away from the anvil in response to vertical movement of the tape-supporting member.

3. In a machine for forming and attaching an end stop to an edge of a Stringer tape for a separableJ fastener,

the combination as defined in claim 1 wherein the crimplng tool is pivoted on the anvil and is pivotally movable toward and away from the anvil upon vertical movement of the tape-supporting member, an offset arm extending from said crimping tool, a roller carried by said offset arm, and a yieldable member engaging with the roller on said arm.

4. In a machine for forming and attaching an end stop to an edge of a stringer tape for a separable fastener,

the combination as defined in claim 1 wherein the crimping tool is pivoted to and is movable toward and away from the anvil upon vertical movement of the tapesupporting member, an oset arm extending from said crimping tool, a roller carried by said offset arm, an adjustable member engaging with the roller on one side thereof and a yieldable plunger engaging with the roller in opposing relation to the adjustable member.

5. ln a machine for forming and applying an end stop to an edge of a Stringer tape for a separable fastener wherein a vertically reciprocable tool severs a length of wire stock from an, intermittently fed strip of the stock and partially forms and delivers the severed length of stock to an edge of the tape that is characterized by a vertically movable tape-supporting member located beneath the vertically reciprocable tool, said member being movable upon engagement with the vertically reciprocable tool and having a slot therein for receiving and positioning a tape in edgewise position beneath the vertically reciprocable tool, an anvil carried by said member, said anvil opposing one side of the tape and a crimping tool carried by said member and opposing said anvil on the opposite side of the tape, said crimping tool being movable toward and away from the anvil upon vertical movement of the tape supporting member.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,506,535 Kotzich Aug. 26, 1924 1,836,497 Phelps Dec. 15, 1931 1,908,981 Hicks May 16, 1933 1,966,256 Marinsky -..July l0, 1934 2,071,603 Winterhalter Feb. 23, 1937 2,096,685 Osgood Oct. 19, 1937 2,099,624 Robarge Nov. 16, 1937 2,169,802 Keller Aug. 15, 1939 2,222,220 Binch Nov. 19, 1940 2,310,033 Muther Feb. 2, 1943 2,329,769 Kinyon Sept. 2l, 1943 2,409,147 Neuhaus Oct. 8, 1946 2,438,023 Sirp Mar. 16, 1948 2,447,499 Erk Aug. 24, 1948 2,508,782 Carlile May 23, 1950 

